I have always been interested in the cinema so after a ridiculously long period without one, which was a disgrace, Sunderland finally got its own just a few years ago. The first film I saw there was Downfall, an excellent German film about the the last few months of Hitler's life in the bunker in Berlin. Looking back I was very naive but I thought that with a new cinema there would be much demand so I booked two seats over the phone. The actual number of people watching that film including ourselves, (my wife and I) was five!

Subsequently members of my family have been on many occasions to the Empire Cinema, Lambton Street and for some films there has been a decent number in the audience. Perhaps I am just unlucky but at the recent showing of a film called Breach there were only seven people including ourselves and when I recommended it to my Conservative colleague, Councillor Peter Wood, he and his wife had only one other person for company to watch what was an excellent film.

So I do hope that these examples are exceptions to the rule. I would be very interested to know what you think of the Empire Cinema in Sunderland and share your experiences. Do you like the new cinema or do you still go to Boldon or elsewhere and if so perhaps you could say why?

Michael